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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think it's not right for a childminder to say this to a child? **Title edited by MNHQ**

59 replies

TheChildChomper · 08/06/2019 15:44

I live on a small cul-de-sac, moved here just a few months ago. My neighbour from a few doors down is a childminder. My DS is friends with her DS, and my DS often also plays with her charges out on the cul-de-sac. I'm fairly friendly with her in general neighbourly terms. We sometimes chat and take each other's DS's to softplay etc, but we're not bff's or anything. We don't hang out together.

My DS has also become quite friendly with a particular child that stays with her sometimes. He's not one of her charges, he's one of her friends kid's, but he comes round occasionally for play dates/sleep overs with her DS. She sometimes allows this boy to come round to our house to play with my DS in DS's bedroom/garden.

He came round again to today and went upstairs to DS's room to play. 10 mins later neighbour is banging aggressively on my door. I let her in and she's shouting and swearing about how this boy hadn't told her he was coming round to play with my DS, that he'd left her back door wide open and "...I don't know what he thinks he's bloody playing at!" She storms upstairs to my DS's room and really lays into this kid. He's about 7 or 8 yrs old.

Now don't get me wrong, he most certainly should have told her if he was leaving the house and, while I thought she was ott with the shouting and swearing, I do understand her panic so tried to reserve my judgment. But what she said to him next had me a bit Shock

"You don't really know OP. Do you know that OP eats children, hmm?!! She does you know!!" she says, in all seriousness. Not even in a remotely joking manner. "She could've eaten you and I wouldn't even know!"

My DS giggles and says "my mum doesn't eat children" But she replies to my DS with "yes she does, why do you think you have no brothers or sisters? Cos she's eaten them all. You're the lucky one!"^

My DS is an only child.

I'm now flabbergasted and lost for words, but before I get a chance to step in she demands this boy downstairs and marches him off back to her house while she tells my DS to get his shoes on as he can play at hers instead. But my DS is clearly a bit disturbed by whats just happened and keeps nervously saying to her he doesn't want to go, so I tell her he needs a bit of space and show her the door.

DS then asks me "you don't eat children, do you mum?"

Of course I put him straight but I've had to spend the best part of 10 mins talking to him about emotions and panic and sometimes people say and do daft things in a panic. But I'm a bit narked if I'm honest that a childminder of all people was unable to control herself enough that she shouted, swore and frightened a young child with such a horrid story.

Now I'm not so sure I want my DS going round there any more. AIBU to tell DS not to go in her house again? Or am I being a bit precious and should just accept she just wasn't acting rationally in her panic?

OP posts:
Bollockwort · 08/06/2019 15:48

She's a lunatic. Just avoid her.

Toffeecakes · 08/06/2019 15:48

Panic or not, what an awful thing to say. I'd be going round there now and telling her how she was completely out of order. I'd also be telling her to stay away from my house and children in future. I'd probably be that mad I'd ring ofsted and tell them so they can give her a hard time. If she's taking money for looking after children then part of that is that she's a decent human being, she certainly wasn't being one saying that to the children.

OpportunityKnocks · 08/06/2019 15:50

Yanbu.

Firstly, how did the kid get out without her knowing.
Secondly, that's horrendous. Kids believe this stuff.

I'd complain to her and ask her to correct what she said to your son .
I'd also report her to ofsted!!!

IceRebel · 08/06/2019 15:52

That sounds far too coherent a rant to have been made up in the heat of the moment. I would worry that it had been voiced previously. I get that she was worried, but to say you eat children and then to make the leap to your son being an only is unfathomable.

Butchyrestingface · 08/06/2019 15:54

What a nutter. Can’t imagine why the boy bolted out the door without letting her know. Hmm

I wouldn’t let my kid go back there - does he even want to??

Butchyrestingface · 08/06/2019 15:56

Btw, excellent username. I appreciate you may have name changed for this thread but I would consider keeping it. 👍

Breathlessness · 08/06/2019 15:58

You lost me at pearl-clutching at ‘bloody’.

lyralalala · 08/06/2019 16:00

Tbh I’d be going round there and telling her that she was completely out of order. How dare she say that to your child!

As for telling your DS to put his shoes on and go to hers - who does she think she is?!

I’d seriously consider reporting her comments to Ofsted and that’s something I very rarely say, but the idea of her telling a child who knew their mother had a miscarriage or who has a lost sibling that their mother ate them is just horrendous.

Also I’d ban your DS from playing in her house.

Sargass0 · 08/06/2019 16:15

Is she Roald Dahl?

Chartreuse45 · 08/06/2019 16:16

Whatever I thought she might have said, I would never have expected that! It's past unprofessional and into "unhinged" territory. Yes, keep your son away, goodness knows what would come out of her mouth next! Hope you and your son can put this quickly behind you.

Bluerussian · 08/06/2019 16:18

That was a dreadful thing for her to say, I'd have been horrifed in your place.

What kind of a woman is this to look after children?

Chartreuse45 · 08/06/2019 16:18

Also do think about letting the parents know, if you can. If it were my child I would definitely make other arrangements as soon as I could.

StealthPolarBear · 08/06/2019 16:19

Yes this is unhinged. If she had said it in a jokey way that woukd have been ad enough but to say it seriously and link it to your ds being an only child... Dark humour and children is not a good mix!

Bookworm4 · 08/06/2019 16:20

Fuckin hell, she’s mental!
The remark about being an only child is vile. Bin that crazy boot.

QueenofPain · 08/06/2019 16:22

She sounds nuts but it is hilarious!

1624RL · 08/06/2019 16:22

Shock. Wow. Just wow. I’m almost speechless. Without knowing the woman personally it’s difficult to advise how to proceed- whether to have a chat either her, or whether to just not let DS go back. Parents often say daft things to their own kids (although not usually that daft), but I’m not sure I’d want her child minding my kids, and I’m inclined to agree with pp who suggested reporting to ofsted.

PositiveVibez · 08/06/2019 16:26

She sounds nuts.

I would just distance myself from her.

INeedAFlerken · 08/06/2019 16:35

I would report her to OFSTED, as she must be registered with them as she's childminding. She sounds nuts, and what she said to the child (who clearly must have been in her care) and yours is completely inappropriate and unacceptable. You have witnessed it; you know it wasn't said in a joking manner.

EugenesAxe · 08/06/2019 16:39

My response is pretty much 1624RL's. Saying that to children 7 or 8 years old, when they are impressionable and can have loads of weird worries about things anyway; perhaps you could excuse her thinking it up given her panic and anger, but to reinforce it as if (to a child) it was fact - that's terrible.

Your comment did provoke a wry smile though, Sargass0

Branleuse · 08/06/2019 16:39

What an absolute nutcase.

Lindy2 · 08/06/2019 16:43

It's a strange thing to say but could you please clarify - you say that this boy is not one of her charges. I'm assuming as it's the weekend she is not childminding and this boy is just visiting as a friend.
If that's correct and she was not childminding at the time this happened then Ofsted will quite rightly not be interested at all (for those saying straight away report to Ofsted).
It's a bit of a bizarre rant but really not quite worth the level of shock and horror that some people seem to think.

EugenesAxe · 08/06/2019 16:43

Sorry that's pretty much what you said StealthPB. She should have realized a line had been crossed and tried to repair things by laughing it off, not digging in deeper & making it personal.

AppleKatie · 08/06/2019 16:53

That is a really disgusting way to talk to a child and in your home as well? All because she wasn’t watching the child enough (if he ‘escaped’ her house.

I would try and speak to her mindees parents if I possibly could.

I would want to know if my childminder swears at children and also if she tells nasty lies about parents to their children.

She’s unhinged.

AbbyHammond · 08/06/2019 16:58

What was the swearing?

Yes, it wasn't great of her but I wouldn't try to make trouble for her with Ofsted or her customers for something that happened outside of work.

AppleKatie · 08/06/2019 16:59

I would agree if it was something like getting lairy in a pub at the weekend etc...

But she has specifically proved herself unfit to care for children in this context.